Fruit-gatherer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. BLACKBURN. FRUIT GATHERER.'

No. 432.362. Patented July 15, 1890.

WITNESSES.- fa-W43 5y T'VOHNEYS.

mz mams Pneus c6., mommmo., wnsmuarcn. u. c.

(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2. G. W. BLACKBURN.

UNITED STATES I GEORGE w. BLACKBURN,

4PATENT OEEICE.

OF SARASOTA, FLORIDA.

FRUIT-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,362, dated July 15,1890.

Application filed December 12, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BLACK- BURN, of Sarasota, in the county ofManatee and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Fruit-Gatherers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvementin fruit-gatherers, especiallyadapted for gathering citrons fruit, and has for its object to providean implement with which fruit can be picked much more rapidly than withthe ordinary form of pole-picker; and a further obj ect of theinvention' is to provide a means whereby the fruit may be assort-ed aspicked and carried conveniently in quantities upon the person of theoperator and delivered when desired to any suitable receptacle. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for cutting thestem close to the body of the fruit without injury from the cutter andfor delivering the fruit without inj ury from the same to acommodiouspocket formed in a garment worn by the operator.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination oftheseveral parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, andpointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the device,- illustrating itsapplication. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the garmentemployed in connection with and forming a part of the implement. Fig. 3is an enlarged perspective View of the cutter and attachedconducting-tube or netting, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the saidcutter and said tube.

In connection with the cutter A and conducting-tube A', to behereinafter described, a garment B is employed, adapted to be worn bytheoperator, supported from the shoulders, and of sufficient length toextend below the waist. This garment is .constructed somewhat in theform and nature of a sleevelessY shirt, and may be made of canvas,calico, or other stron g or suitable material, the garment Serial No.333,421, (No model.)

fall downward below the waist, as best shown in Fig. l, and form aninner pocket or receptacle l2, as shown in Fig. 2. In one side of thispocket portion of the garment an opening is made, and one end of aiiexible chute 13 is attached to the walls of said opening, the otherend being provided with a clip 14 of any suitable construction, wherebythe-chute is held in an upright position when vthe wearer is employed inpicking fruit by attaching the clip to a suitable loop or staple l5,preferably located upon or near the shoulder of the garment. In orderthat the wearer of the garment may not be burdened or inconvenienced bythe weight of the gathered fruit, the pocket l2 is supported from theshoulders of the wearer directly, and this is accomplished through themedium of straps 16, attached at their ends to the opposite sides of thewaist-.

band 1l and at the center of the loop portion to the shoulders of thegarment. Two straps are employed, one passing from the front right-handside of the waistband over the right shoulder to the back of the band,and the other being similarly located upon the left-hand side of theband.

To one sleeve-opening of the garment, preferably the right-handsleeve-opening, the lower end of the conducting-tube A is secured,`which conducting-tube preferably consists of netting, as illustrated,and the upper end of the said conducting-tube or netting isattachedpreferably, to an elliptical skeleton frame 17, which frameusually consists of a piece of round wire or iron bent upon itself tothe above-mentioned shape, one end of the wire or rod being carriedperpendicularly upward to formA a post or standard 1S, the upperextremity of which post or standard is bent at a right angle to the bodyin the direction of the center of the frame 17, and uponthe horizontalextremity of the post the cutter A is pivoted, which is usually accom-IOO plshed by passing the upper end of the post or standard 18 thronghanaperture in a stud 19, formed upon the under side of the cutter at thepivotal point of its blades. This cutter is capable of a lateral rockingmovement upon the standard. v

The cutter is constructed in substantially a like manner to a pair ofscissors, and com-v prises two members 20 and 2l, each member consistingof a blade-section a and a handlesection a. The blade-sections of thecutter are upwardly curved, so that they present a convexed under faceand a concaved upper face, and the handle-sections a have a downwardinclination from their junction with the blade-sections, as bestillustrated in the side elevation, Fig. 4. One handle-section haspreferably attached to its outer side a loop 22,'

of sufficient size to admit the thumb of the operator, and upon theouter face of the opposite handle a larger loop 23 is formed capable ofreceiving the lingers.

To insure the fruit dropping into the conducting-tube or netting A', aseries of threads or wires 2l are secured at one end tothe post orstandard 1S, and at opposite ends, one in advance of the other, to theskeleton frame 17. Thus a shield is formed for the rear portion of theframe, as best shown in Figs. l and 3.

In operation, when the garmeiiit is placed upon the body of the wearer,the left arm of the wearer is free, essentiallyfrom the shoulder, saidarm passes out through the sleeveless opening of the garment. Theconducting-tube A serves as a sleeve for the righthand side of thegarment, and in that portion of the tube where the elbow of the weareris located an opening 2t is formed of suiiicient size to permit thepassage of the forearm of the operator, as shown in Fig. l. The handlesof the cutter are grasped by the right hand of the operator, and as theforearm ot' the right hand is perfectly free he has no inconvenience inthe manipulation of the said cutter.

'lhe conducting-tube A is of suiiicient diameter to permit any fruitentered at the top to pass downward beneath the ineloscd portion ot' theoperators arm and into the pocket 12 of the garment.

Before commencing the operation of picking, the chute 13 is secured in avertical position, as illustrated in l `ig.1. As the left arm isperfectly free, as is also the greater portion ot the right, should thefruit severed vfrom the tree be marred or damaged it may and as thechute is located at the betteln ot' the pocket the contents ot thelatter, with to bear upon the pivot of the blades.

Having thus described my invention, I claim asfnew and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. In a fruit-picker, the combination, with asleeveless body garment having a waistband carried upward within thesame to form a pocket or sack and provided with a delivery-chute locatedat the bottom of said pocket,

`ot a conducting-tube attached at its lower end to one sleeve-opening ofthe garment and pro vided with an opening at or rnear the center of itslength and a cutter attached to the upper portion of said tube,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a sleeveless body vgarment having its waistbandcarried npward within the same to form an annular pocket and providedwith a delivery-chute located at the bottom of said pocket, andshoulder-straps connected with the waistband, of a cutter and a tubularconnection between said cutter and the interior ofthe garment,substantially as shown and described.

3. The con1bination,with a sleeveless body garment having an annularpocket formed at its base, provided with a flexible tubular outlet, of acutter having its blades curved up ward and its handles curved downwardand a conducting-tube suspended beneath the blades of the cutter andconnected with the pocket of the garment, substantially as shown anddescribed.

At. The combination, with a sleeveless body garment having an annularpocket formed in its lower portion, said pocket being provided with aflexible delivery-chute, of a skeleton frame provided with anupwardly-extending post or standard, a conducting-tube attached at oneend to the said skeleton trame and sccured at its other end to one otthe sleeveopenings of the garment, the said tube being provided with anopening at or near the center of its length, and a cutter pivotallyattached to the said post oi the frame, having upwardly-curved bladesand downwardly-inclined handles, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. As an improved article of manufacture, a fruit-picker consisting of asleeveless body garment formed with an annular pocket at its lowerportion and provided with a ilexible delivery-chute at the bottom of thepocket and means for attaching the said chute to the upper portion ofthe garment, shoulder IOO IIO

straps attached to the waistband of the garthe upper portion of thetube, substantially ment, a conducting tube having a central as and forthe purpose specified.

opening in one side attached at its lower end to one sleeve-opening ofthe garment and at :its upper end to a skeleton frame provided with anupright, and a cutter pivoted upon said upright, the blades of whichextend over GEORGE NV. BLACKBURN.

